Adobe After Effects Introduction Masterclass

This 5-day Masterclass course helps you learn about the tools and features available for power users of Adobe After Effects CC. We will show you how this industry-leading program takes visual effects and motion graphics to a new level. You will use the program's powerful tools to add a slick, professional look to all your movie projects. Together, we will study the After Effects environment and give you the abilities you need to become a special-effects expert. Our tips are sure to enhance the quality and creativity of your visual output.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Navigate the After Effects environment
• Understand keyframe manipulation and interpolation
• Work with layers, masks, and mattes
• Apply special effects
• Add titles and text
• Use colour effectively
• Write expressions and use expression controllers
• Create advanced animations
• Move cameras and lighting in 3D
• Track motion
• Warp and re-map time
• Export your files

The following is a general outline. The range of topics covered during your training is dependent upon student level, time available and preferences of your course booking.

• What is a project file and what is in it?
• Tools and Panels: how to navigate around the application,
• Workspaces: selecting, saving, setting,

• Transform properties of layers
• Keyframing: making element move,
• Importing Photoshop and Illustrator files,

• In depth Keyframe manipulation and interpolation
• Graph Editor,
• Motion Sketch/Smoother,
• Auto-Orient/Motion
• Blur, Roving
• Keyframes,
• Anchor Point/Pan Behind Tool,
• Panning a large graphic: technique,
• Hold Keyframes,

• Trim-move-stack-split (keyboard shortcuts)
• Quality, SlipTool,
• Sequence Layers,
• Solo Switches,
• Looping Footage,
• Image Sequences,
• Frame Rate vs. Time Stretch,
• Blending Modes,
• Effects and Solids with Blending Modes,
• Effects and Presets Panel: animation presets,
• Adjustment layers,

• Masks
• Shape, feather, expansion,
• Masking with the Pen Tool:
• Bezier curves,
• Mask Shape Interpolation,
• Mask modes,
• Mattes and Stencils,
• Mask shapes

• Simple Rules of Titling
• Basic Text,
• Text Animators/Range Selectors,
• Randomizing,
• Applying and Saving Text Animation presets,
• Per character animators,

• Precomps
• Editing Precomps,
• Locking panels, Render Order
• How After Effects put it all together

• Render Queue
• Export As
• Same Frame As
• PrerenderKeyframes
• Different types of Keyframe
• Velocity
• Keyframe shortcuts
• Keyframe graph editor

• All About Alphas
• Working with Photoshop
• Dots, Pixels and Inches
• Working with Illustrator
• Plugging in Type

• Particle Playground

• Production Bundle Effects Round-Up
• Compound Effects

• Additional Assistants
• Motion Fun
• Express Yourself
• Animation and behaviour presets

• Using Keylight

• Time Remapping
• Time Games
• On Stable Ground
• Motion Tracking
• Time warp

• Writing a simple expression
• Linking expressions to motion track

• Cameras
• Lights
• 3D Layers

• Integration 101
• Integration with Nonlinear Editing Systems

• Video Issues
• Playing the Field
• 3:2 Pulldown
• Luminance and IRE Issues
• Working with D1/DV NTSC
• Working with Widescreen
• Pre-rendering and Proxies
• Advanced Rendering-Render Farm Concept
• What’s Your Preference?
• The Secret Preferences